Teen Donates Bonus Check to Help Others (VIDEO)

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A little bit can go a long way. That’s why 19-year-old Erik Wentz of Angola decided to take his own money and spend it on others. Wentz works at a big box store, and was told after a year of hard work, he'd receive a bonus check. When he did, it didn't go straight to the bank, but instead to the WIC program. WIC, short for "women, infants and children", is a federal grant program that provides nutrition, counseling and health services to families in need.

“My family had always benefitted from WIC, and still continue to. I had always thought once I had the means to take care and help others, I would always go ahead and do that,” he said.

That’s when Wentz got a list of needs from the program office and spent over $130 of his bonus. He bought over 200 items, including children's coats, baby bottles, and soap, and donated all of it to the Steuben County WIC Program. Before his generosity, Wentz says Program Director Carolyn Nagle showed him the donation supply closet which was nearly empty.

“I figured they had a decent amount of stuff and I was just kind of adding on a little bit,” he said.

Wentz says the program director was extremely grateful, but he feels no thanks is necessary.

“If anything it's me thanking the community of people who benefit from it because they're the ones who work hard every day at the jobs that they do, and they try to support their families and they just can't do it. They don't have enough. And when there's someone like me who has more than enough I mean, it's nothing special on my part at all,” Wentz said humbly.

Wentz says he wants to continue to help, and hope this story inspires others to give.

“I plan on, at this point every year, continue to give to them and hoping to add on to what I’ve done, and catch more people to do what I’ve done and continue giving to the WIC Program.”

Nagle describes Wentz’s generosity as a “remarkable act of kindness” and says he has helped restore her faith in the younger generation.

For more information and how you can help WIC, click on “Steuben County WIC” under News Links on our homepage.

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